Six Tornadoes Hit the Western Carolinas on October 26

, 2010

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg confirms that six tornadoes toucheddown during the evening of October 26

, 2010. The tornadoes ranged in strength on theEnhanced Fujita (EF) Scale from four EF0 to two EF2. This document is a collection of the stormsurveys, radar images, and damage photos.

...TORNADO CONFIRMED IN LINCOLN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA...AND EXTENDEDINTO SOUTHWEST CATAWBA COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA

…

LOCATION...4.9 MILES WEST OF VALE TO 3.3 NORTHWEST OF VALE INSOUTHWEST CATAWBA COUNTY NORTH CAROLINADATE...10/26/2010ESTIMATED TIME...710 PM EDTMAXIMUM EF- SCALE RATING...EF2ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...135 MPHMAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...200 YARDSPATH LENGTH...3.6 MILESBEGINNING LAT/LON...35.54N / 81.48WENDING LAT/LON...35.57N / 81.43W* FATALITIES...0* INJURIES...11 / 1 WITH SERIOUS INJURIES* THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TOCHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWSSTORM DATA....SUMMARY...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC HASCONFIRMED A TORNADO TRACK IN LINCOLN COUNTY WHICH BEGAN ABOUT 5MILES WEST OF VALE AT THE INTERSECTION OF LOCUST TRAIL AND TOLAHOUSER LANE. THE TORNADO BRIEFLY LIFTED...OR CLIPPED TOPS OFTREES...ABOUT 2.5 MILES NORTHWEST OF VALE AT PALM TREE CHURCHRD...THEN AGAIN TOUCHED DOWN AROUND CAT SQUARE ROAD IN SOUTHWESTCATAWBA COUNTY...BEFORE LIFTING.THE TORNADO INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF LOCUSTTRAIL AND TOLA HOUSER LANE AROUND 710 PM. SEVERAL HOMES AT THEBEGINNING OF THE TORNADO PATH HAD MAJOR ROOF AND EXTERIOR WALLDAMAGE. ONE HOME

(Figure 1)

WAS SHIFTED OFF IT/S FOUNDATION NEARLY20 FEET WITH AN UPSTAIRS ROOM REMOVED. TWO VEHICLES OUTSIDE THE HOME WEREROLLED AND DISPLACED SEVERAL YARDS FROM THEIR ORIGINAL LOCATION.

Figure 1: House shifted off of foundation on Locust Trail

THE TORNADO MOVED EAST-NORTHEAST ACROSS NORTHBROOK THREE SCHOOLROAD...JUST NORTH OF THE REEPS GROVE CHURCH ROAD INTERSECTION.SEVERAL HOMES WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED WITH NUMEROUS TREES SNAPPEDAND UPROOTED (

Figure 2

). THE DAMAGE PATH WAS NEARLY 200 YARDS WIDE.

Figure 2: Wide swath of tree damage and debris on Northbrook Three School Road

THE STORM PROCEEDED NORTHEAST ACROSS MACEDONIA CHURCH ROAD...PEELERROAD AND PATRIOT WAY. ADDITIONAL HOMES...BARNS...AND A CHICKEN HOUSEWERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED...AND MAJOR TREE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED. THETORNADO THEN BRIEFLY LIFTED...OR CLIPPED TOPS OF TREES NEAR PALMTREE CHURCH ROAD....BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN AGAIN NEAR CAT SQUARE ROADIN SOUTHWEST CATAWBA COUNTY. ADDITIONAL TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED NEARCAT SQUARE ROAD. THE TORNADO LIFTED BEYOND THAT POINT.NOTE...NEW INFORMATION CONTINUES TO BE RECEIVED CONCERNING THISSTORM...AND MINOR CHANGES TO THE LENGTH OF THE TRACK MAY BENECESSARY.